The paradox of
American slavery after a revolution fought for liberty and the premise that
“All men are created equal” will be explored in a free talk by historian
Eva Sheppard Wolf at California State University, Sacramento from 4:30 to 6
p.m. on Wednesday, April 28, in Mariposa Hall, room 1001.

Wolf, a professor at San Francisco State University, will talk on “Liberty
and Slavery: How and Why Slaveholders Freed Their Slaves after the American
Revolution.” Wolf received her doctorate from Harvard University and has
a forthcoming book on the debates over slavery and emancipation in post-Revolutionary
Virginia.

While the majority of slave owners in the United States, including national
icons such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, continued to hold slaves
after the United States won its independence from England, a few did not.

“Some people were motivated by the ideals of freedom and liberty and could
not reconcile the institution of slavery with the basic rights of man. But most
never saw the basic hypocrisy between fighting for individual liberty and keeping
humans in bondage,” said CSUS history professor Barbara Keys. Keys invited
Wolf to the campus and organized her talk.

“In many ways,” Keys said, “we’re still struggling with
the legacy of slavery.”

For more information, call (916) 278-4163. Media assistance is available from
CSUS public affairs at (916) 278-6156.